遊女|ゆうじょyuujo[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounprostitute; harlot

• Synonym娼婦しょうふWrittenModern written word for a woman who sells sex, neutral in tone. 「遊女」 is historical and evokes women who sang and danced for guests in Edo-period pleasure quarters.
• Synonym売春婦ばいしゅんふNeutralModern term for a woman who sells sex; used in legal and news writing. Unlike the historical 「遊女」, it carries no period flavor.
• Synonym女郎じょろうNeutralEdo-period word for yūkaku prostitutes, with a period-drama feel; its older sense was a court lady.
• SynonymプロスティテュートNeutralRare katakana loanword for a prostitute, mostly in academic translation; unlike the historical 「遊女」, it has no period coloring.
• Synonym娼妓しょうぎWrittenWritten term with historical color: a woman who sang and danced to entertain guests at banquets, or a licensed prostitute (「公娼」).
• Synonym売女ばいたCasualColloquial slur for a prostitute or a woman of loose morals; far more insulting than 「遊女」.
• Synonym売笑婦ばいしょうふWrittenOld-fashioned written term for a woman who sells sex for money; rare today and, unlike 「遊女」, not itself a historical term.
• Synonym醜業婦しゅうぎょうふWrittenOld written term loaded with contempt; avoided in modern usage. Unlike 「遊女」, it is not a historical term.
• Synonym淫売婦いんばいふWrittenOld-fashioned and strongly derogatory; avoided in modern usage. Unlike 「遊女」, it is not a historical term.
• Related傾城けいせいWrittenClassical term: originally a beauty who could topple a state, later a high-ranking 「遊女」.
• Related女郎じょろうNeutralEdo-period word for yūkaku prostitutes, with a period-drama feel; its older sense was a court lady.
• Related遊び女あそびめWrittenArchaic word for a woman who entertains with song and dance, also a prostitute; an elegant archaism.
• Related賎業婦せんぎょうふWrittenOld written term with discriminatory overtones; avoided in modern usage. Unlike 「遊女」, it is not a historical term.
• Related籠の鳥かごのとりNeutralMetaphor for anyone deprived of freedom; a 「遊女」 is only one possible referent, so it cannot simply replace 「遊女」.
• Relatedパン助パンすけCasualPostwar slang for street prostitutes; contemptuous and avoided today. Unlike 「遊女」, it is not a historical term.
• RelatedパンパンCasualPostwar slang for street prostitutes who served Occupation soldiers; contemptuous, and tied to that specific era.
• Related傾国けいこくWrittenLiterary term for a peerless beauty, also for a 「遊女」 or the pleasure quarters; elegant and archaic rather than a historical label.
• Related一夜妻いちやづまWrittenArchaic euphemism for a woman who stays with you just one night, also a prostitute; rare in modern usage.
• Related遊君ゆうくんWrittenRefined literary name for a 「遊女」; archaic and rarely used, and unlike 「遊女」 not itself a historical term.
• Related白拍子しらびょうしWrittenLate-Heian dancing girls who sang and danced, often in men's dress—Shizuka Gozen is the famous example; the focus is on the art.

「遊女」 is the historical word for women who sang, danced and entertained—or sold sex—in the licensed quarters and post-station banquets of the Edo era. In modern writing prefer 「娼婦」 or 「売春婦」. For period contexts: 「女郎」 (Edo prostitutes), 「傾城」 (high-ranking courtesans), 「白拍子」 (late-Heian dancing girls), 「遊び女」 (archaic). 「傾国」「一夜妻」「遊君」 are literary rarities. 「売女」 and postwar 「パンパン」「パン助」 are contemptuous slang; 「醜業婦」「淫売婦」「賎業婦」 are old slurs to avoid; 「籠の鳥」 is only a metaphor for lost freedom.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 宿場しゅくばなどの宴会えんかいで歌舞かぶをしたり、色いろを売うることを業ぎょうとする者もの。遊び女あそびおんな。
2. 公許こうきょされた遊郭ゆうかくの娼婦しょうふ。